Fun.'s "Some Nights" Review

Fun.’s single “We Are Young” (feat. Janelle Monae), which is still climbing the iTunes Top Ten chart eight months after it’s release, became the biggest song on the radio in a matter of days. The single had people begging for more from this Indie-Pop trio, and the band did not disappoint with their album Some Nights. I have heard many descriptions of Fun.; “Modern day Queen”, “Graceland or Paul Simon meets Kanye West”, “the best thing to happen to Indie since, well, anything”, and I must agree with all of these statements. In a Fueled By Ramen interview with Fun., lead singer Nate Ruess discusses the first song on the album and says that it, “doesn’t make a lot of musical sense.” This statement rings true for the entire album, in an amazing, unique, and wonderful way.

When people bought the album, they probably assumed that the single “We Are Young” would be the best song on the album- I know I did. But everyone who thought that, thought wrong. “We Are Young” is definitely one of the best on the album; With lyrics that speak to- no, scream to, youthful carelessness and the feeling of being unstoppable, it’s hard not to fall in love with this song. The killer drum solo at the beginning of the song is impossible to ignore, and by the time lead singer Nate Ruess finishes the first verse there is no way you’re going to stop listening. One of my other favorites is “Some Nights”. Holy harmonies. “Some Nights” is impossible to listen to without tapping your foot, or nodding your head, or singing along. This song is one of those songs that you hear once and the second it ends you want to play it again. Another highlight of the album is the ballad “Carry On”. In fact, this song is the best song on the album. Combining amazing lyrics, beautiful keys, and guitar riffs that make you long to see a live preformace, this song wins all the awards. Another stand out on the album is “It Gets Better”. If you don’t like techno, stay away from this one. With clear help from a sound board, this song is one of the weaker on the album. (And by weaker I mean B+ instead of A+). The message behind the song is just as powerful as the rest of the songs on the album, the execution is just not as conventional. This album definitely features a lot of autotune and artificial elements. However, unlike other artists, it is clear that Fun. is not using these tools to mask their inexpereince and bad sound. (If you don’t believe me go look at any of their YouTube videos). Fun. took a chance with Some Nights, the techno infulence and artificial elements were risky but they paid off and I have a feeling a lot of other bands are going to start doing the same thing. That being said, there are some moments where there is just too much autotune for me. By the last minute and a half of “Stars”, I have to change the song. Some Nights is the second album this band has released together. Compared to their first Aim and Ignite, Some Nights is much more developed and explosive. You can definitely tell that the band members are more comfortable with each other and the recording process. Ruess developed his vocal inflections much more in Some Nights. The same way an author uses techniques in their writing to place emphasis on certain words and phrases, Ruess does this with his voice. If you haven’t yet, go and purchase Some Nights, it’s worth every penny.

Author: Alie Wilkins

I love music more than anything. I also love the smell of rain.. and tape… and really old books. I’m a firm believer that none of us would be where we are today if we weren’t all kids once